Conference paper

Appeared in: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition

Editor list: Vokalek, G

Publication year: 2016

Pages: 637-642

ISBN: 876346-65-5

URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302515980

Conference: 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC14)

Abstract: 
Our study aimed at replicating the previous findings of Harrison and O’Neill (2000) with a younger sample (N= 90, aged 4 to 6) and expanding the repeated measures design to detect the influence of different treatments on preference as well as gender stereotypes. During a priming phase, all children were accustomed with look and sound of six musical instruments. In the following intervention phase, groups 1 and 2 received concerts played by  either gender-consistent or gender-inconsistent role models and group 3 received an episode of a TV-series for  kids. Regarding both boys and girls, results reveal no significant changes in terms of instrumental preferences  except for the guitar (♂: p= .026, ♀: p= .001): all subjects tend to prefer this instrument more at the second time of measurement. Nevertheless, differences among the three groups are not significant in terms of preferences.  Regarding gender stereotypes, boys (p= .001) as well as girls (p= .061) show significant differences or tendencies  for flute. With regard to drums, girls show a significant interaction (p= .031) in reference to time and group. Nevertheless, post hoc tests do not indicate any significance among the three different groups. Regardless of sex, children assign all instruments rather according to their own gender. Our findings clearly differ from the previous, perhaps caused by confounding variables and methodological problems such as children’s conversations between priming and intervention phase. However, we think that our results are mainly due to the fact that today’s boys and girls have devel oped distinguished and surprisingly stable preferences for musical instruments even at this young  age. Contacts beyond the interventions may explain the observed changes in preferences for the guitar.  Nevertheless, gender identities and gender-typed activities correspond with social contexts and therefore each instrument can be appropriate, what offers best chances for early instrumental learning.

Harvard Citation style: Bullerjahn, C., Heller, K. and Hoffmann, J. (2016) How Masculine Is a Flute? A Replication Study on Gender Stereotypes and Preferences for Musical Instruments among Young Children, in Vokalek, G. (ed.) Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. San Francisco. pp. 637-642. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302515980

APA Citation style: Bullerjahn, C., Heller, K., & Hoffmann, J. (2016). How Masculine Is a Flute? A Replication Study on Gender Stereotypes and Preferences for Musical Instruments among Young Children. In Vokalek, G. (Ed.), Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. (pp. 637-642). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302515980